Method for obtaining electric energy from the environment

ABSTRACT

Up to now, conventional wind power rotors, which have a horizontal shaft and are mounted on high self-supporting poles, serve to utilize wind energy. These installations are confined to designated installation sites and, due to economical reasons, have a certain minimum size that often causes them to considerably detract from the natural scenery. The inventive method provides that the movement which is induced by changes in mechanical load, in at least one direction of displaceably mounted or elastically moving structures or parts of structures is converted into electric energy by means of mechanical/electrical energy converters situated between moving and stationary parts of structures or at selected points of elastic motion of the structures or parts of structures. This results in wind ene eing utilized over a large area.

DESCRIPTION

The utilisation of environmental energy initiated in the middle ages bymankind, wind energy in particular in those times, has been againadvanced over the past decades by modem solar installations and windpower generators.

Wind power rotors mounted on horizontal shafts are almost exclusivelyused for utilising wind power and are located on high, free-standingmasts. These generators are bound to certain locations of installationand have a certain minimum size for economic reasons. Subsequently, theyfrequently destroy the landscape image to a considerable degree.

Solar installations have achieved a certain technical standard afterdecades of development. However, they continue to require highinvestment costs. Calculated onto the producible energy volume duringtheir normal life service duration, specific energy costs are incurredwhich make the installations only economically worthwhile with statefinancial support, not only with the investment costs but also with theconsumption of temporary excess energy.

Moreover, the solar surface required for their operation is normallyonly available with detached houses and selective small scaleinstallations.

The invention is based on the task assignment of stating and presentinga method with which environmental energy can be utilised to aneconomically worthwhile degree and which can be applied universally.

The task assignment is solved according to the invention by the featuresof the claims 1 and 14. Purposeful embodiments are included in theSub-claims.

Accordingly, the movement caused by the mechanical load change, in atleast one direction of movably supported or intrinsically elasticallymovable edifices or edifice parts by means of mechanical/electricalenergy transducers arranged between movable and solid edifice parts oron selected points of elastic movement of the edifices or edifice parts,is transformed into electric energy.

Particularly facade parts on buildings are movably supported in anyevent or, if they are rigidly supported beforehand, they can be mountedon a facade in such a way that a movement probe such as a piezoelectricor electromagnetic transducer can be arranged between the support pickupat the relevant facade part and the support at the facade, where thispressure transducer generates electric energy with a wind movement ofthe facade part. Such facade parts include in particular window panes,windows, glass surfaces, facade slabs, e.g., attached face brick, doorsetc.

A wind energy having a strong and changing intensity is permanentlyacting on a building surface, and this energy leads to a constant andalternating mechanical loading of the facade parts. If such facade partsare suspended in a loose and movable manner, as in the case of attachedfacades for example, this leads to constant movements of the facadeparts. Even though these movements are not perceivable to the human eye,these movements can be used for an energy transformation. Modem pressureprobes are capable of inducing a voltage even with the slightestmovements. By means of a series connection and/or a parallel connectionof correspondingly numerous energy transducers, usable voltage andelectric energy levels can be obtained in the process. The voltage canbe rectified and collected in batteries or transformed by means ofconverters into an energy form taken up by the network. This mode ofenergy production has the advantage that, in contrast with solar energy,it is available without interruption and that large surfaces with aconsiderable potential energy input are usable.

If a medium usable power density of approx. 10 W per square meter isadopted as a basis, a constant power of 20 kW can be generated with, forexample, a free-standing office building of the usual size. Thiscorresponds to the power that must be available for the technicalbuilding equipment or for the illumination of the building. The movementof facade parts on vertical as well as on inclined or horizontalsurfaces is usable. The energy transducers can be arranged in aselective, linear or surface manner between facade part and edificedepending on the conditions prevailing locally. Normally, the energytransducers will be arranged in such a way that they make use of amovement that is running vertically to the plane of the facade parts.The energy transducers and/or corresponding supporting elements, towhich the energy transducers are arranged in parallel, can be structuredfor this case in such a way that the movement of the facade part istaken up in one direction, but in the other directions only the forces.However, they can be structured or arranged in such a way that they arecapable of taking up the movement in several directions.

If required, movement-transferring elements such as lever gears can bearranged between the facade parts and the energy transducers, wherethese gears increase the path or transform the movement into anotherform such as for example a rotary movement.

Window panes attached to a facade in a frameless condition can be heldin position with point-fastenings for example, into which amechanical/electrical energy transducer is integrated in each case. If asecurement in window frames is selected for living accommodationbuildings, the window panes can be embedded in the frames by means ofelastic seals so that they can move against the frame to a very slightdegree. Then, for example, energy transducers can be applied at thecorners between frame and window pane.

The return action of the movement can be effected by means of springelements on the support locations of the edifice parts, or the edificeparts can be arranged in such a way that, for example with a suspensionin a minor inclined position, they retract by means of their own weightafter a wind movement.

In addition to facade parts, further edifice facilities can also usedfor wind energy transformation. The movement of flags hoisted on aflagpole in the wind or the movement of the flagpole itself can beexploited where the suspension of a flag is performed in such a way thatan energy transducer is arranged in between the flag and the flagpoleand this transducer produces an electric voltage with the alternatingmovement, or where one or several elongation transducers are arranged atthe flagpole which produce an electric voltage as a result of themovement of the flagpole.

In addition to wind forces, other mechanical forces occurring in theenvironment can be used for an energy conversion. For example theconstant movement of bridges, fixed-located in so-called cup bearings,resulting from changing traffic loads can be utilised by arrangingenergy transducers parallel to the bearings or by integrating thetransducers into these bearings.

The invention is to be described in greater detail on the basis of anembodiment example shown in one FIGURE.

The FIGURE shows a point-fastening according to the invention for largeframeless glass panes. The point-fastening consists of a bush 1 whichhas on one side a 45°-bend and is provided with a thread to the otherside, onto which a threaded ring 2 fits. Bush 1 and threaded ring 2 takeup between them a glass pane 3 via a through-hole. The bush 1 isprovided with face holes 4 on the front and on the rear for positioningwhen tightening the screws. A face hole key fits into these face holes.A bolt 5 is used for securing on an edifice. Between bush 1 and bolt 5,a piezoelectric pressure transducer is arranged which converts thesmallest movements of the glass pane 3 into an electric voltage. Severalsuch pressure transducers 6 are united in a series/parallel connectionand hooked up to a converter not shown here which transfer the generatedenergy to the network. Between bolt 5 and the pressure transducer 6, aspring element 7, made from rubber for example, is arranged. This springelement provides for an elastic bearing-support of the glass pane.

Referenced Parts List

-   1 Bush-   2 Threaded ring-   3 Glass pane-   4 Face holes-   5 Bolts-   6 Pressure transducer-   7 Spring element

1. Method for the production of electric energy from the environmentwherein the movement caused by the mechanical load change, in at leastone direction of movably supported or intrinsically elastically movableedifices or edifice parts by means of mechanical/electrical energytransducers arranged between movable and solid edifice parts or onselected points of elastic movement of the edifices or edifice parts, istransformed into electric energy.
 2. Method according to claim 1,wherein the mechanical/electrical energy transducers are arrangedlocally and parallel to securing systems of edifice parts.
 3. Methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the mechanical/electrical energytransducers are arranged locally and in series to securing systems ofedifice parts.
 4. Method according to one of the previous claims,wherein facade parts are moveably joined with the edifice by way ofmechanical/electrical energy transducers.
 5. Method according to theclaims 1 to 3, wherein facade parts are provided with frames which aremoveably joined to the edifice by way of mechanical/electrical energytransducers.
 6. Method according to claim 1, wherein the edifice partsare retracted into their initial position by means of spring elementsfollowing a movement caused by the wind.
 7. Method according to claim 1,wherein the edifice parts are arranged in such a way that, after amovement caused by the wind, they retract into their initial position asa result of their own weight.
 8. Method according to claim 1, whereinthe mechanical/electrical energy transducers are integrated intopoint-fastenings.
 9. Method according to claim 1 wherein themechanical/electrical energy transducers are arranged in parallel tobridge pedestal supports.
 10. Method according to claim 1, wherein themechanical/electrical energy transducers are integrated into bridgepedestal supports.
 11. Method according to claim 1, wherein themechanical/electrical energy transducers are compiled electrically inseries/parallel connections.
 12. Method according to claim 1, whereinelectromagnetic transducers are used as mechanical/electrical energytransducers.
 13. Method according to claim 1, wherein piezoelectrictransducers are used as mechanical/electrical energy transducers. 14.Building, wherein it has facade parts which are moveably supported in atleast one direction and has mechanical/electrical energy transducersarranged between the building body and the facade parts, where theelectric energy of these transducers produced by the movement of thefacade parts resulting from the mechanical load change is collectable inbatteries or is to be fed into the network (grid).